Sewing machine



March 13, A BIRCH ET AL SEWING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l U IMHO.

AlbcrT Birch Harold W. Birch CliFFord Birch b MWkW ATTys.

March 13, 1934. A. BIRCH El AL 1,950,913

SEWING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2.

\nvenTors.

I AHDETT Birch Harold W. Birch CliFFord Birch AiTys.

Patented Mar. 13, 1934 SEWING MACHINE Albert irch and Harold W- Birch, Belmont, an Clifford W. Birch, Arlington, Mass.

Application June 24, 1932, Serial No. 619,084

5 Claims.

This invention relates to sewing machines and especially to butt seam stitching machines which are employed to unite the ends of woven material preparatory to conducting finishing operations thereon.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved construction in which the active elements of the machine are supported upon a single frame having an upright column.

A further object of the invention is to provide an efficient mechanism supported upon the column for driving the pin or cloth-wheel, the sewing and other driven elements of the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a positive and reliable means for stripping the cloth from the pinwheel.

A further object of the invention is to provide a butt seam sewing machine of simple design, the elements of which may be manufactured and assembled at a great reduction in cost.

Other objects and features will appear more fully from the following description in connec tion with the accompanying drawings and will {be pointed out particularly in the claims.

In the typeof machine herein presented the sewing and trimming operations must be carried on with great accuracy in order to insure that theedges of the seam will be butted together and not overlapping. The present invention pro.-

vides for this accuracy by mounting the elements which act to create the seam upon a one-piece rigid structure. The framework of the machine comprises a relatively heavy base having a vertical column rising substantially from the center thereof, and is provided desirably at its upper end with a flat surface of substantial area upon which the sewing, trimmin marking or other desired mechanisms are mounted.

At a point substantially midway of the supporting column is situated a horizontal shaft which desirably projects through the column and has a bearing therein. Upon one end of the shaft is received the pin or clothwheel upon which the fabric to be stitched is secured. Preferably between the large pinwheel and the column is situated a spur-gear which is secured to the pinwheel and serves to drive the same. The spurgear is in turn driven by a train of gearing which is driven by a suitable motor or other power device.

The opposite end of the horizontalshaft projecting through the column has situated thereon a ,plurality of sprockets, one .of which is .0011- ,nected :to the power device by means of ,a suitable chain, while the other sprockets are coning the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device.

Fig. ,3 is a detail sectional View taken on line 3-3 Fig. 1.

In order to present an accurate and complete conception of the invention, a particular embodir ment thereof is illustrated and will be described herein. The elements of the device aresnpported from a single frame member 1 in the form of a column projecting upwardly from a base portion 2. The upper end of the column 1 is proyided desirably t a h z n a la o m 3 span wh ch i mount d a w n h ad 4 O y suita l soc struction. The sewing head 4 is mounted such position that the sewing operation will take place c osely ad a nt the ner edg of the u p r peripheral surface of a large pin or cloth-wheel 5. The pin or cloth-wheel 5 is provided with one or more rows .of pins ,6 which are inserted in the outer surface of the wheel at regular intervals,

A machine of the type :hereindisclosed is espec a y d s gned to perform the ew n epe eiiq necessary to unite the tran ver e d s f We piecesof fabric. The purposeof producing a b tt seam is to enable the fabrics thus united to be fed through various finishing machines. In certain finishing operations heavy pressure is imposed upon the fabrics such, for instance, when the fabrics are fed between calendering rolls.

The butt sewed seam passes smoothly between '3 the calender rolls whereas if the .ends .of the fabrics were overlapped the multiple thickness of fabric causes excessive pressure upon the fabric whichmayresult in damage to the fabric.

In order to produce a butt seam upon the present machine the edges of the fabrics to be joined are superimposed and are placed upon the pinwheel5 with the rows of pins projecting through the fabrics. When the machine is then started and the pinwheel begins to rotate the fabrics are fed into the stitching mechanism where theiedges arejoined by means of the usual stitching mechanism having a shogging motion which produces a stitch first within the fabric and then outside the edges thereof. After the seam is thus produced the fabric passes along to other mechanisms which may be provided to impress a characteristic mark upon the fabric or to perform any other desired operation. Subsequently to such operations the fabric will be stripped from the pins in a manner to be described hereinafter.

The wheel 5 is secured to a horizontal driving shaft 7 which projects through the column 1 at a point substantially midway between the base and the platform 3. Preferably between the pinwheel 5 and the column 1 is situated upon the shaft 7 a spur-gear 8 which is secured to and acts to drive the wheel 5. The gear 8 has meshing therewith a pinion gear 9 which is secured to another large spur-gear 10, while both the gears 9 and 10 are mountedupon a horizontal shaft 1 1 which extends through the column 1 and is maintained in lateral position by means of a collar 12 secured to the shaft. The gear 10 has meshing therewith a pinion gear 13 secured to a horizontal power shaft 14 extending through the column and having mounted upon its opposite end a sprocket wheel 15.

A grooved or other type of driving wheel 16 is mounted on the shaft 14 closely adjacent to the sprocket 15. The groove of the wheel 16 is provided with a driving belt 17 which is driven by a grooved wheel 18 upon the shaft of an electrical motor 19 which is mounted upon a plate 20 secured to the base 2. The pinwheel 5 is driven, therefore, by means of the motor 19 through the train of gearing comprising the gears 8, 9, l0 and 13.

The sewing head 4 may be of any standard design and is shown herein in outline only. Since the sewing elements of the head form no part of the invention, they are not illustrated or described. The main drive shaft of the sewing head, however, is indicated at 21 and has secured thereto a sprocket 22 on the end of the shaft opposite to the stitching point. The sprocket 22 is 'driven by means of a chain 23 which passes over another sprocket 24 which is mounted upon a sleeve 25 loosely mounted on the end of the shaft '7 opposite to that upon which the pinwheel 5 is secured. Another sprocket 26 is secured upon the sleeve 25 and is driven by means of a chain 27 which in turn passes around and is driven by the sprocket 15 mounted upon the shaft 14. A trimming attachment is incorporated also in the sewing head which functions to trim accurately the edges of the cloth to be joined slightly ahead of the stitching point. The trimming mechanism,

however, is not shown in the drawings. 'It is sometimes desirable to mark the work as fer roll 33 which is in turn pivoted upon the .stand 30 and situated to engage the face of the type characters upon the drum 28. The ink-roll 32 and the transfer roll 33 are rotated by friction from the drum 28. The drum 28 is driven by means of a gear 34 mounted upon the shaft 29.

The gear 34 meshes with a gear 35 which serves to give the proper direction of rotation to the drum 28. The gear 35 is mounted upon a stud shaft 36 fixed in the stand 30. The shaft 36 has mounted upon its outer end a sprocket 37 which in turn is driven by a chain 38. The chain 38 extends downwardly and passes around a large sprocket wheel 39 fixed upon the shaft '7 and driven there- To strip the cloth from the pins 6 subsequently to the stitching and marking operations, the stripping elements are in the form of the usual flexible bands 40 mounted upon the pinwheel 5. These bands are provided with a plurality of apertures through which the pins project and are driven by the pinwheel by reason of their engagement with the pins. The bands 40 are slightly greater in diameter than the pinwheel, and means are provided to cause the bands to ride away from the surface of the pinwheel along the delivery side of the wheel and consequently strip the cloth from the pins as they do so.

The bands 40 are caused to ride away from the surface of the pinwheel 5 by leading them over the outer surface of a plurality of brackets 41 which extend across the face of the wheel 5 and are spaced therefrom a distance slightly in excess of the length of the pins. The brackets 41 are provided also with upstanding flanges 42 which act to guide the bands 40 in proper alignment as the wheel 5 rotates and to prevent the bands from becoming detached therefrom.

The brackets 41 are secured rigidly in fixed position upon the ends of a specially constructed spider 43 which is secured upon the column 1 by means of screws 44 which pass through a central plate 45. The spider 43 is provided with three outwardly-extending legs 46 upon the outer ends of which are secured the brackets 41. The brackets may be secured to the spider in any desirable manner such, for instance, as by means of the screws 4'7. The legs 46 of the spider 43 are connected by segmental portions 48. The segmental portions 48 desirably are shaped to conform to the periphery of the pinwheel 5 and are situated closely adjacent the inner edge of the face thereof.

If desired another bracket 57 similar to the brackets 41 may be secured to the column 1 pro= jecting outwardly to embrace the face of the wheel 5 in the same manner as the brackets 41. Any suitable means may be employed to start and stop the machine independently of the electric motor 19. One desirable method is to mount loosely the grooved wheel 16 upon the shaft 14 so that it may move axially thereof. The inner face of the wheel 16 is held normally in frictional engagement with the outer face of the hub of the sprocket 15 which is secured upon and drives the shaft 14. The wheel 16 may be held in frictional engagement in any suitable manner such as by means of the spring 50 upon the shaft 14 which engages at one end with the hub 51 of the wheel 16, and at its other end upon a collar 52 secured upon the shaft 14.

The hub 51 of the wheel 16 is provided with a peripheral slot 53 within which is received the bifurcated ends of a lever 54 which is pivoted at 55 upon a bracket 56 secured upon the column 1 and projecting laterally outward. The machine may be stopped by moving the upper end of the lever 54 to the left in Fig. 2, thereby releasing the frictional engagement between the wheel 16 and the hub of the sprocket 15. To start the machine the upper end of the lever 54 is permitted to move to the right under the action of the spring 50 which reengages the frictional surfaces thereby establishing a drive.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A sewing machine comprising a unitary supporting frame having a base and a substantially vertical column, a sewing and trimming head secured upon the upper end of said column, a driving shaft journalled on the column, a pin studded wheel for feeding the work fast on said shaft and having its upper peripheral portion adjacent the sewing point, a main driving gear having peripheral teeth mounted on said shaft, a power shaft rotatively supported by the column at a point below the driving shaft, a train of gearing connecting the power shaft with said main driving gear and sprocket chain driving means connecting the power shaft with said sewing and trimming head.

2. A sewing machine comprising a unitary supporting frame having a flat base and a substantially vertical column, a sewing and trimming head secured to the upper end of said column, means to drive said head, a pin studded wheel for feeding the work rotatably mounted upon said column having its upper peripheral portion adjacent the sewing point, means to drive said pinwheel, a pair of stripping bands mounted upon and driven by said pinwheel, said bands having apertures therein through which the pins project as the bands travel toward the sewing point, a spider secured to the column and located between the latter and the pin wheel, said spider having arms extending outward to the periphery of said pinwheel, a guide bracket secured to the end of each spider arm extending laterally across but spaced from the face of the pinwheel over which the bands pass to strip the work from the pins subsequently to the sewing operation.

3. A sewing machine comprising a unitary supporting frame having a base and a substantially vertical column, a sewing and trimming head mounted upon the upper end of said column, means to drive said head, a pin studded wheel for feeding the work rotatably mounted upon the side of said column having its upper peripheral portion adjacent the sewing point, means to drive said pinwheel, a pair of stripping bands mounted upon and driven by said pinwheel, said bands having apertures therein through which the pins project as the bands move toward the sewing point, guide brackets secured in fixed position adjacent the peripheral portion of the pinwheel following the stitching point, each bracket having a lateral portion extending across and spaced from the face of said pinwheel and flanges projecting outwardly from the ends of the lateral portion of each bracket acting to retain said stripping bands upon said brackets.

4. A sewing machine comprising a unitary supporting frame having a base and a substantially vertical column, a sewing and trimming head mounted on the upper end of said column, a driving shaft journalled on the column, a pin studded work-feeding wheel fast on said shaft, a main driving gear mounted on said shaft, a power shaft rotatively supported on the column at apoint below the driving shaft, gearing connecting the power shaft with the main driving gear, a sleeve loose on the driving shaft and having two sprocket wheels thereon, a sprocket chain drive connecting one sprocket wheel to the power shaft and another sprocket chain drive connecting the other sprocket wheel to the sewing head.

5. A sewing machine comprising a unitary supporting frame having a base and a substantially vertical column, a sewing and trimming head mounted on the upper end of said column, a driving shaft journalled on the column, a pin studded work-feeding wheel fast on said shaft, a main driving gear mounted on said shaft, a power shaft rotatively supported on the column at a point below the driving shaft, gearing connecting the power shaft with the main driving gear, a sleeve 7 

